Children's Hospital fosters lifelong love, loving Broomfield family

Couple who met there 30+ years ago now have daughter who serves as hospital ambassador

Anicee Lamoreaux and other Children's Hospital patients will share their stories during the annual Alice's 36 Hours for Kids radiothon event to benefit Children's Colorado. The stories will be broadcast Wednesday through Friday on Alice 105.9 FM.

Children's Hospital asks listeners to hear stories like Anicee's during the radio fundraiser or follow the fundraiser at facebook.com/childrenshospitalcolorado, then donate by phone at 800-458-KIDS (5437) between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. through Friday or online at Alice1059.com.

When Lisa Ferrerio and Chris Lamoreaux met as babies, they shared a rare disease that left their bones fragile and brittle. Yet their childhood meeting helped spark a strong, lifelong friendship-turned-romance that helped them adopt an outspoken, smiling daughter.

The Broomfield couple met through their families about 37 years ago, when their families were part of a support group for children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, known as OI, or brittle bone disease. The condition causes fragile bones that can break simply by coughing or sneezing too hard.

As kids, Lamoreaux and Ferrerio spent time together playing, talking and going through treatment at Children's Hospital. After Chris moved to Texas at age 6, it seemed that their friendship was over.

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Instead, the two kept in touch off and on throughout their lives, eventually falling in love and marrying in 2007.

"It's just so nice to have someone who knows what you go through on a daily basis," Ferrerio said.

Lamoreaux and Ferrerio decided they wanted to spread their love to a child with the same diagnosis, and in 2010, they brought their adopted daughter, Anicee, home from Belize. Anicee, who is now 10, also has OI.

THE NOTE THAT STARTED IT ALL: The handwritten love note a young Lisa Ferrerio wrote to future husband Chris Lamoreaux when they were kids and part of a brittle bone disease support group at Children's Hospital. The note was on the back of their wedding invitation. (David R Jennings / Broomfield Enterprise)

In the same hospital where her parents spent so much time, Anicee has received several surgeries and goes there regularly for treatments.

Because of her peppy, well-spoken and vivacious attitude, Anicee is now one of Children's Hospital's ambassadors. That means she attends events and speaks about her experiences at the hospital in order to raise awareness for the hospital's programs.

"I feel really cool about being an ambassador, so I can help other kids with disabilities," Anicee said.

Anicee estimates she has been to Children's about 50 times. It has given her strength to help show other kids that the hospital doesn't have to be a scary place.

"I feel independent. When I go there, I know other kids can be helped," she said.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Anicee will talk about her experiences and her loving family this week during the annual Alice's 36 Hours for Kids radio fundraiser event to benefit Children's Colorado on Alice 105.9.

The radiothon also will feature her parents' love story that spans nearly their whole lives.

The radiothon raises money for Children's Hospital's programs and supports its young patients. The event raised $1.8 million in 2013 and has raised more than $13 million since 2002, according to Monique Bronner, a spokeswoman for Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation.

Anicee, a fifth-grader at Birch Elementary, uses a specialized wheelchair to get around. She has had multiple surgeries to place metal rods in her femurs and lower legs. She also had a spinal fusion, so she can move more easily and keep her back more straight. Even with the surgeries, she has had about 100 broken bones in her lifetime.

As young children, Lamoreaux and Ferrerio experienced some of the same pain that comes with OI. Yet the two became fast friends.

When Lamoreaux moved away when he was 6 , Ferrerio made him a heart-shaped birthday card with the words, "I love you."

Little did she know it wouldn't be the last time she'd say those words.

The two grew older, but always managed to run into each other at wheelchair sports camp or other events.

By the time they were adults, they began chatting online and visiting each other, even though Ferrerio lived in Colorado and Lamoreaux lived in Texas.

By that time, Lamoreaux was working for NASA, but made time to fly to Colorado to visit Ferrerio as often as he could.

When the couple married in 2007, the heart-shaped birthday card of their childhood became the back of their wedding program.

Chris and Lisa were happy, but knew they wanted to raise a child with the same love and care they had received as kids. So in 2010, they adopted Anicee, who was then 6.

Knowing what it was like for Anicee to experience the difficulties of OI, Lamoreaux and Ferrerio took Anicee to Children's Hospital, the same place where they were treated as kids.

Even though she underwent several painful surgeries, Anicee's upbeat and outspoken personality caught the attention of her pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Sumeet Garg.

Garg nominated her to become the hospital's orthopedic ambassador. As an ambassador, Anicee earned the role as a spokeswoman for the Alice 105.9 radiothon.

Ferrerio said her daughter is a natural public speaker, and jumped at the chance to talk about her experiences for a wider audience.

"She's really good at it. Her personality, her spirit. She's so bright, and people enjoy and connect with that," she said.

The Alice 105.9 radiothon is just one part of Anicee's ambassador work.

In the next few months, in addition to attending Birch and spending time with her service dog, Pearl, Anicee will attend a luncheon and photo shoot at the Denver Zoo and will take part in a fashion show and meet-and-greet with players from the Colorado Avalanche hockey team.

Anicee's parents are proud to see her advocate for other children at Children's Hospital.

Lamoreaux said he is happy the family has the opportunity to give her the care she needs in the United States.

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